COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will once again track Santa Claus as he travels around the world on Christmas Eve, continuing a decades-long holiday tradition, according to the U.S. Department of War.
NORAD’s Santa tracking operations are scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. Mountain Standard Time on Dec. 24. The public will be able to follow Santa’s journey online, and children can call 877-446-6723 to speak with a live Santa tracker who can provide updates on his location. Phone operators will be available until midnight.
Officials said the tradition highlights the lighter side of NORAD’s mission. The program began in 1955 after a misprinted department store advertisement prompted a child to accidentally call the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD’s predecessor, while trying to reach Santa. Personnel at the operations center played along, leading to an annual tradition that has continued since NORAD’s formation in 1958.
More than 1,000 American and Canadian military members, civilian employees, and local volunteers are expected to participate this year. Volunteers staff the Santa Operations Center at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, responding to hundreds of thousands of calls from around the world on Christmas Eve.
NORAD officials said the event also serves as a reminder of service members stationed around the globe during the holiday season.
